Sitting in 12th place as the halfway point of the 2014 campaign rapidly approaches certainly is not what the Harrisburg City Islanders had in mind when they kicked off the USL PRO season two-plus months ago, but that's where they are.

Fortunately, Bill Becher's club (3-7-3, 12 points) still has more than enough time to correct their current situation and try to nail down a playoff spot.

Can they? Will they?

While that remains to be seen, the City Islanders' attitude remains positive and the tenor in camp upbeat as they await a visit Friday night from a Charlotte squad (4-8-1, 13 points) that rests just above them in the USL PRO standings.

Needless to say, things could be much, much different.

"We're obviously disappointed where we're at, but I think we believe in ourselves and what we have here," Becher said following Tuesday's workout at Skyline Sports Complex. "I think we know we're a lot better than our record shows right now and I think we still know that we're gonna turn this around."

"We see that it's been a lot better the last six, seven games, with just a couple little things missing. It's coming. I think we're on the verge of doing some really good things right now and hopefully that starts Friday."

The City Islanders played much better of late, posting a 2-3-2 record in their last seven games — with their latest result, a 1-0 loss to the Montreal Impact Reserves, coming against a Major League Soccer club that used a sizable number of front-line regulars in advance of a return to league play tomorrow night in Vancouver.

With a 2-3-2 record in their last seven league outings â and a strong showing against Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup â Bill Becher believes his Harrisburg City Islanders are close to making a number of positive things happen in USL PRO play.PennLive.com files

"We're at home, which we haven't been great at, but you're always better off to be at home," Becher said. "We need to find a way to make this a difficult place for teams to play and get our points here.

"It doesn't matter who's coming in; every team in this league is good. I don't think there's anything you can look at and say [that's going to be easy], it's more we're at home now, we have a little stretch at home and we just have to take care of it.

"And it's one game a week, as opposed to playing two or three games in a week, so we've got a little bit of a break in the schedule from that standpoint."

MANPOWER UPDATE

As expected, winger Clesio Bauque (ankle) and defender/midfielder Neil Shaffer (hamstring) returned to practice on Tuesday — albeit on a limited basis.

Shaffer, in fact, spent a good portion of Tuesday's workout at Skyline Sports Complex running laps. Bauque tested his high-powered wheel, but encountered some resistance and sat watching for lengthy stretches.

Winger Robbie Derschang, who last played on June 1 in Pittsburgh when he aggravated an already-tender hamstring, appeared to be going full-bore as the City Islanders spent much of their 90-minute session playing short-sided games.

Goalkeeper Nick Noble, forced out of Friday's 1-0 loss at Montreal in the 24th minute, was part of the action throughout. Noble also worked out on Monday.

"Robbie's close," Becher admitted. "Neil and Clesio probably aren't good for this game, they're probably not far away. And Pedro [Ribeiro], [Aaron] Wheeler, I don't know the stories there yet."

Ribeiro, who when he wasn't rehabbing a hamstring injury was with the City Islanders on loan from Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, is training with the Union as they prepare to return to league play Saturday at New England.

Winger Robbie Derschang hopes he can put some nagging hamstring issues behind him and have himself ready to contribute as the Harrisburg City Islanders enter a critical USL PRO stretch.PennLive.com files

Wheeler spent a few games on loan to the City Islanders last season, then made his first appearance on Friday in Montreal. He's also practicing in Philly.

It's possible the Union could offer some help on Friday night.

"I think we'll get one of them, but I don't think we'll get both of them," Becher said. "I don't think we need both of them."

HERNANDEZ, MCLAUGHLIN LAND AMONG HONORABLE MENTIONS

Midfielder Cristhian Hernandez and winger Jimmy McLaughlin were recognized by USL PRO's team of the week selection panel, landing among the honorable mentions following strong efforts in the City Islanders' 1-0 loss Friday in Montreal.

Former City Islanders all-league selection Jose Angulo, now playing for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, also received honorable mention.

Rodrigo Lopez, who scored two goals and set up a third score Friday night in Sacramento's 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rapids Reserves, was tagged USL PRO's player of the week. Friday night's contest was Sacramento's first in its new Bonney Field digs, as the Republic drew a sellout crowd of 8,000-plus.

And while Becher's City Islanders were not allowed to utilize any of the players on loan from the Philadelphia Union in last week's fourth-round match at PPL Park — even though defender Richie Marquez and McLaughlin were Cup-tied to Harrisburg — apparently the Rhinos will not be faced with that dilemma.

Yet regardless of what Lilley's lineup will look like on Wednesday night at Brown University, the Rhinos are still in the running for the Cup's grand prize ($250,000) and a berth in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League.

Rochester does have history in American soccer's national tournament, having captured the event in 1999. Lilley's Rhinos already own one MLS scalp, thanks to last week's 1-0 victory over defending champ D.C. United in a driving rainstorm.

Should the Rhinos prevail on Wednesday night, they'll advance to the Open Cup quarterfinals against the survivor of tonight's match between the Union and North American Soccer League's New York Cosmos at PPL Park in Chester.